Surgical Wound Healing in the Oral Cavity: a Review

Abstract

Wound healing is a fundamental survival mechanism, largely taken for granted. It consists of four intricately tuned phases: haemostasis, inflammation, proliferation and remodelling. Successful wound healing only occurs if each phase occurs in the correct sequence and timeframe. Moreover, the oral cavity serves as a unique and remarkable setting whereby wound healing takes place in a saliva-filled environment containing millions of micro-organisms. Many local and systemic factors can impair oral wound healing. This article provides an overview of the wound healing process, with a discussion of these respective local and systemic factors, along with the potential cellular and/or molecular mechanisms involved. CPD/Clinical Relevance: On a daily basis, dentists perform procedures such as exodontia and implant placement that rely on adequate wound healing. An improved understanding of the local and systemic factors that can impair oral wound healing can help clinicians to control these factors more accurately, resulting in improved patient outcomes.